Advancemame 3.5: overlays & resolution problem
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@riverstorm As long as we are throwing out titles, I am also interested in Star Castle. This is a vector game (so AdvMAME is the ticket) that is monochrome by design, but has cellophane overlay on the actual cabinet. However, it gets VERY dark on my system. I have not messed with anything, but might be one for the list.
Also, bzone has a nice bezel overlay. There might be something to learn regarding the artwork for this title. I am just brainstorming.
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@riverstorm said in Advancemame 3.5: overlays & resolution problem:
If you need anything tested just let me know.
if you have a 1080p display too (e.g. TV), could you simply install invaders.zip (old artwork from Mr Do's site) into the artwork subfolder of advmame rom's folder and enable bezel, overlay and backdrop in the .rc and let me know how it is displayed and what resolution is used?
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@caver01 said in Advancemame 3.5: overlays & resolution problem:
This is a vector game (so AdvMAME is the ticket) that is monochrome by design, but has cellophane overlay on the actual cabinet. However, it gets VERY dark on my system.
It is on mine also but I think I tweaked it several times and it's acceptable but I agree it's dark. Solar Quest with it's star background I just couldn't get a decent compromise. It's either to bright and you loose the ship or to dim so you can see what you're playing.
if you have a 1080p display too (e.g. TV), could you simply install invaders.zip (old artwork from Mr Do's site) into the artwork subfolder of advmame rom's folder and enable bezel, overlay and backdrop in the .rc and let me know how it is displayed and what resolution is used?
I have a regular 1080p TV. I can try this tonight and get you the results. Does it matter if scanlines are on? I have scan2horz (2 horizontal) which works for most games (non-vector) but a few look pretty rough.
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@riverstorm said in Advancemame 3.5: overlays & resolution problem:
@caver01 said in Advancemame 3.5: overlays & resolution problem:
This is a vector game (so AdvMAME is the ticket) that is monochrome by design, but has cellophane overlay on the actual cabinet. However, it gets VERY dark on my system.It is on mine also but I think I tweaked it several times and it's acceptable but I agree it's dark. Solar Quest with it's star background I just couldn't get a decent compromise. It's either to bright and you loose the ship or to dim so you can see what you're playing.
if you have a 1080p display too (e.g. TV), could you simply install invaders.zip (old artwork from Mr Do's site) into the artwork subfolder of advmame rom's folder and enable bezel, overlay and backdrop in the .rc and let me know how it is displayed and what resolution is used?
I have a regular 1080p TV. I can try this tonight and get you the results. Does it matter if scanlines are on? I have scan2horz (2 horizontal) which works for most games (non-vector) but a few look pretty rough. I think it's pixel dimensions something throws a few games off and they have like a window blinds shutter gradient look.
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How about this option on or off in your settings or doesn't matter?
display_artwork_crop yes -
@UDb23 - when I run Space Invaders with the options set you specified my resolution is 544x240. I think the option that is changing the resolution so drastically is "Mode...generate-quad" in your screen shot. My defaults to Mode 1. There's 5 modes 1-4 and auto. I couldn't find how to set a static resolution.
display_artwork_crop yesWith this setting I can see a small garbled mess of colors and curvy lines on the very edge of the bottom (where the credits and ships show in your screenshot). It's like the bezel is expanded at it's full resolution and just the edge is showing. Basically 99% of the bezel is clipped except the inside bottom is showing on the bottom of the screen. Mode 1 stretches it to fit vertically and it's ok on Auto it looks real good.Mode 1 - 544x240
Mode 2 - 1072x480
Mode 3 - 1600x720
Mode 4 - 2128x960
Auto - 1600x720 (Mode 3)
display_artwork_crop noWith this setting I can see the whole bezel but the resolution of the game is (1104x492) and makes it look pretty rough.Mode 1 - 1104x492
Mode 2 - 2192x984
Mode 3 - 3280x1476
Mode 4 - 4368x1968
Auto - 1104x492 (Mode 1)EDIT: With artwork & overlay on and bezel off with Mode set to Auto it looks great.
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@riverstorm Thanks a lot for detailed testing.
So basically you too get the weird resolutions instead of 1920x1080 we're supposed to get.
I'm going to ask on this issue also on sourceforge's advmame forum as I noticed the developer of advmame usually replies there. -
@riverstorm Have also tried if this setting has any influence on resolution ?
Add the following line to /home/pi/.advance/advmame.rc
device_video_modeline 1920x1080_60.00 153.234 1920 1968 2121 2168 1080 1127 1130 1178 +hsync +vsyncAlso comment (put a # before) the line with 720p setting, so you get this:
#device_video_modeline ATSC-720-60p 73.44 1280 1312 1368 1632 720 722 728 728 +hsync +vsync -
@riverstorm said in Advancemame 3.5: overlays & resolution problem:
I wasn't able to see Rampage with Overlay.
Rampage should work with lr-mame2010.
Rampage World Tour with FBA. -
@udb23 said in Advancemame 3.5: overlays & resolution problem:
@riverstorm Thanks a lot for detailed testing.
So basically you too get the weird resolutions instead of 1920x1080 we're supposed to get.
I'm going to ask on this issue also on sourceforge's advmame forum as I noticed the developer of advmame usually replies there.Yeah it was all over depending on the Mode setting. I never could find the setting that is showing up in your screenshot (mode... generate-quad). I had just the 5 modes (1-4 and auto) so it would look like Mode... [1]. Also the higher resolutions pushed the game right and down to the point it wasn't playable. So I would only see the top left corner of the play area.
I think the AdvMAME forums would be great. Maybe @caver01 knows how to set a static resolution that doesn't change so dynamically. You would think it would be a fairly straight forward thing to do but apparently not.
The other option I change is
display_expand 1.25. I change it to a factor 1 so it's ratio is more accurate vs. 1.25 which fills the screen.@riverstorm Have also tried if this setting has any influence on resolution ?
Add the following line to /home/pi/.advance/advmame.rc
device_video_modeline 1920x1080_60.00 153.234 1920 1968 2121 2168 1080 1127 1130 1178 +hsync +vsyncAlso comment (put a # before) the line with 720p setting, so you get this:
#device_video_modeline ATSC-720-60p 73.44 1280 1312 1368 1632 720 722 728 728 +hsync +vsyncYou want me to give this a try and see what kind of results they produce?
Rampage should work with lr-mame2010.
I will give this a try at some point. lr-mame2010 is one emulator I haven't even tried loading yet but I do have FBA loaded. :)
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@riverstorm No, I don't know how to set a specific resolution of the game. It seems that advancemame works a little differently. On traditional hardware (desktop PCs etc) you would use the included utilities like advv to figure out the best modeline for your display. As you can tell by the params, specifying a modeline gives you extremely precise control over the frequencies of the video signal (or an allowable range). From what I have read, this was designed to exert direct control over the video output in order to generate the most authentic (more most desired) video signal for a given display. Once you have the display configured (and this has been automatic for the most part on the Pi), you can use commands or in-game GUI menus to generate the magnification factor (like generate double, quad etc) to double or triple etc. the resolution of the game. If the modeline accommodates a given game resolution, it switches on the fly (like changing resolutions on a multi-sync monitor). Finally, the game window can be scaled with effects (I like filter or mean, as it does some smoothing).
Needless to say, all of these settings combine for what can be an extremely confusing experience. Not bothering with modelines is really helpful to remove a level of confusion from the equation, but the apparent recent updates that bring them back on the Pi can also be extremely helpful if you are driving a CRT.
I don't think there is a solid rule of thumb or a universal use case because we are all using different displays. For example, I use a Sony 19" 1280x1024 display while others might be using HDTVs. In the earlier days of Advmame compiled for the Pi, it was pretty challenging getting all of this worked out for vector games to run at native resolution. It as improved a lot since then, but I feel like the recent deep dive back into modelines is making it harder again.
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@riverstorm said in Advancemame 3.5: overlays & resolution problem:
You want me to give this a try and see what kind of results they produce?
If you have time and it's not a big effort, yes please.
I can't currently do that. -
@caver01 said in Advancemame 3.5: overlays & resolution problem:
No, I don't know how to set a specific resolution of the game.
Ok I always think of you when it comes to AdvMAME as you have covered the gambit.
Basically AdvMAME plays big brother so to speak and decides what is the best resolution? Yes it seems all the options magnification, mode, effects, display_expand, etc. make it more challenging to nail down a resolution but without them it seems vector games couldn't be tweaked as good as you did.
If you have time and it's not a big effort, yes please.
I can't currently do that.Ok, I will get back to you here today. @caver01 @UDb23 Are those settings what I should use? There's no
device_video_modelinesettings in my .rc file. I'm not sure what all the parameters are as the manual has like 2 sentences on the command. -
@riverstorm You can do a lot of research online regarding advmame modelines. You are effectively specifying the horizontal and vertical scanline frequencies, front porch, back porch, etc.--such concepts translate directly to the CRT electron beams, but don't really make much sense with a digital display which is why I am surprised this avenue is being pursued at all. A modeline specifies the pixel clock timings for translating a digital image into an analog video signal. Is this really necessary if you are not connecting a CRT? You could, in theory, specify an exact modeline per ROM in the .rc file which seems like overkill. Consequently, you end up using a modeline with ranges in the parameters. Advancemame will use the range to generate the best video for the game. I wonder if non-crt users are gaining anything by doing this. I would expect that a modeline would need to cover the capabilities of the HDMI, and then it will just pick a compatible video mode--and what have you gained?
I guess I am saying that modelines may not be a useful technique to achieve better overlays and background artwork. Leaving this line out of the .rc will allow the emulator to use the capabilities you have configured on the Pi already.
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@udb23 said in Advancemame 3.5: overlays & resolution problem:
@riverstorm Have also tried if this setting has any influence on resolution ?
Add the following line to /home/pi/.advance/advmame.rc
device_video_modeline 1920x1080_60.00 153.234 1920 1968 2121 2168 1080 1127 1130 1178 +hsync +vsyncAlso comment (put a # before) the line with 720p setting, so you get this:
#device_video_modeline ATSC-720-60p 73.44 1280 1312 1368 1632 720 722 728 728 +hsync +vsyncI wonder if non-crt users are gaining anything by doing this. I would expect that a modeline would need to cover the capabilities of the HDMI, and then it will just pick a compatible video mode--and what have you gained?
@UDb23 @caver01 - I think you are correct Caver adding the line to the .rc file did not change anything. The resolutions were exactly the same as without it.
So basically unless there's a way to force a specific resolution then it's probably not possible to create precise bezels? From the different settings I tried it looked like the bezel was resized (down) or clipped.
Trying to summarize what's happening does AdvMAME pick a compatible video mode and then resizes the game to fit...what? How is it calculating these odd resolutions? The 4000+ lines leave you just a small upper left square of the screen and is completely useless for playing. How would you word what it's doing?
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@riverstorm Thanks for this additional trial.
We definitively need to involve advmame's developer; he surely can tell to about video modes and how to setup an overlay the way it's supposed to work.
August is not the best timing as basically in Italy everybody's on holiday; so he may not respond for a while. Will try anyway.
btw: as I'm in Italy too I'll finally take holidays soon. :-D -
@udb23 said in Advancemame 3.5: overlays & resolution problem:
@riverstorm Thanks for this additional trial.
We definitively need to involve advmame's developer; he surely can tell to about video modes and how to setup an overlay the way it's supposed to work.
August is not the best timing as basically in Italy everybody's on holiday; so he may not respond for a while. Will try anyway.
btw: as I'm in Italy too I'll finally take holidays soon. :-DI need to take a holiday soon too. Here we can bank 416 hours (about 10 1/2 weeks) and I am at 412. I loose them when I hit my cap.
The thing is we are right in the middle of a forklift firewall upgrade. We have about 100 zones, 700 rules, 400 address objects and service groups. A fair amount of Natting, IPSec tunnels with our major cellular carrier for mobiles in our law enforcement vehicles and also to the State for Metro Communications (our 911 centers). We import a lot of AD groups via LDAP for content filtering & application layer filtering and what not.
Several security services like, Intrusion Prevention, GEO-IP filtering (country blocks), RBL's (for email), gateway antivirus, etc. It's a bit of a monster upgrade and I am the whole team doing it. One person.
Our main reason for forklifting and switching vendors is better logging as I think we'll see a few people get fired due to severe surfing habits. I really dislike policing others surfing but I get my marching orders from my director who receives requests from other departments. That lovely chain of command.
We are a small organization (about 1000) and don't really have dedicated "duties" in I.T. (like you might see in a bank). My next project will be VMWare and SRM, then the network core (switching fabric replacement), routers & storage management (NetApp and a Cisco UCS chassis) to finish out the year. Oh and Windows certificate services (several certificates expire in a few months for AD authentication, wireless, etc.) which I honestly hate working on as it's not my strong suit. CA's and subordinates, doling them out via group policy. Rinse and repeat next year. :)
Anyway long story short I need to take a holiday soon too or I'll start loosing the hours. When you get back from holiday or if he responds just let me know if you need any help testing.
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@riverstorm Just don't become so overworked that you accidentally block your own access to retropie.org.uk!
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@caver01 said in Advancemame 3.5: overlays & resolution problem:
@riverstorm Just don't become so overworked that you accidentally block your own access to retropie.org.uk!
Right! I have a little "test" VLAN on it's own subinterface that doesn't need logging or any geo-ip filtering of course as there's no viral threats coming from the UK! ;) Since I also do all the switching I can tap the routing from the core to the internet switch upstream. Actually I could bypass it all by terminating a drop in the WAN VLAN but keeping most of the security services in place is good and getting to retropie.org.uk is an essential work service! ;)
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@riverstorm I understand your situation very well; continuing to accumulate holidays but not being able to actually take them due to important business matters.
Same happens to me.
As soon as you complete/solve one situation, another project or issue already started.
As important our Business Life is, and it is, still we need to find and dedicate some time for ourselves. Also taking no vacation and accumulating stress does NOT improve quality of our work ;-)
Hope you can get the holidays you deserve soon.
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